Topic: Jobs & Wages

Raising the minimum wage means more Oklahomans could afford housing

It’s been 16 years since Congress raised the minimum wage. Since then, rents have risen by 60 percent. The predictable result of this mismatch is drastic increases in eviction filings and homelessness. [See Oklahoma specific homeless data] Low-wage workers –… Read more [More...]

Increasing Oklahoma’s minimum wage creates positive impacts for all Oklahomans, especially American Indians

The state's minimum wage is a contributing factor to our long-standing poverty. Wage compensation has significant consequences for Oklahoma and especially rural Oklahomans of color. [More...]

What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma

For more information about the SQ 832 ballot initiation that would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage, visit OK Policy’s SQ 832 Information and Resources page. – – – The minimum wage impacts more than just workers. Children, parents, and loved ones… Read more [More...]

Oklahomans will go another year without solutions to housing crisis (2024 Legislative Wrap-up)

Oklahoma does not have enough housing, especially for low-income families. The state has a severe shortage of housing that is affordable for extremely low-income renters and evictions are on the rise. As pandemic-related rental assistance ends, the situation will become more dire. [More...]

A job isn’t enough to afford housing for many Oklahomans

State leaders often say the answer to housing instability is a job – but jobs don’t help if they don’t pay enough. Wages have risen at less than half the rate of rent for the last two decades, putting working… Read more [More...]

One simple trick that will help Oklahoma’s small businesses and the economy

In a time of rising costs and inflation, there is one key policy change that lawmakers can pass to help small businesses, working Oklahomans, and our economy: Raise the minimum wage. Research shows that raising the minimum wage is good policy. A minimum wage is intended to act as a baseline to ensure that employers compensate their workers fairly for their hard work by providing a wage that can cover basic living expenses. [More...]

Policy Matters: It’s time to rethink minimum wage

Have you ever rearranged your living room furniture? When the light touches the space in new ways, the pieces create a new refreshing ensemble. Much like reviving a dark, stale living room, it is time for Oklahoma lawmakers to shed… Read more [More...]

Expanding unemployment insurance to more workers would protect families and Oklahoma’s economy

Unemployment insurance became a lifeline to many Oklahomans during the pandemic. In a period of widespread job loss, the transfer payments that this program provided working people with the means to feed their families and pay the bills while they… Read more [More...]

Protecting Oklahoma’s economy requires labor force-oriented solutions

To protect the long-term health of our economy, Oklahoma’s lawmakers should enact policies that will strengthen Oklahoma’s labor force participation, which has been declining for more than a decade. Policies that invest in our workforce — such as guaranteeing paid… Read more [More...]

HB 1933 attacks an indispensable support to our workforce

The legislature should reject HB 1933 and any other bills that would inhibit the ability of the unemployment insurance program to provide the support our workers and our economy need. [More...]